


Coastal Tides and Starry Skies

by ac0531



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Eventual Smut, F/M, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:20:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26414059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ac0531/pseuds/ac0531
Summary: After losing his parents to a boat accident, Callum is left fending for himself while also taking care of his younger brother.Eventually, he finds work under business tycoon Runaan Henris and his husband Ethari, who have him do work around their house. However, as he carries out with his tasks, he soon befriends their niece Rayla, who takes a sudden interest into the boy.As the months progress, Callum and Rayla grow closer together, but it might not be just that.Maybe, it might be more than just friendship they formed...
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 113





	1. The Past And The Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how, but this just wormed its way into my head and before you know it, I already had it down for a story.
> 
> Also: if anyone is confused about this, the events happening here are set a few months after Callum met Rayla for the first time. It's specified in the story, but I thought I'd quickly leave it here also (idk why)

The sun rays poured into the window as Callum groggily opened his eyes, his mind quickly taking in his surroundings. He found himself curled up in his bed, underneath the comforters. He glanced over to the window, and saw the sun slowly coming up over the horizon, letting him know that it was the early hours of the morning.

Reaching over to his bedside table, his hand soon found his phone and turned it on. It was 7:00 in the morning, and Callum groaned to himself, knowing that he will need to get out of bed now as he needed to get ready for his job.

As he began to roll out of bed, he soon stopped when he felt the covers beside him shift a little. Turning his head around, Callum saw as a small body turned around in the sheets while a puff of black hair poked out from underneath the blanket itself.

Softly smiling at this, Callum reached out and gently pulled the covers down, revealing his younger brother Ezran. He was still sound asleep, his breaths steady as his eyes remained closed and he shifted a little more to get comfortable.

As Callum watched this, he felt his heart pang with sadness as his mind began to remind him of the bitter past that he had endured with his little brother. 

Before all of this, Callum lived a happy life with Ezran and his parents. They had bought a house near the edge of the city of Katolis, where it was right next to the beach. Every day he would run outside with Ezran, while his mom Sarai and dad Harrow followed close behind. He'd splash around, build sandcastles, and overall enjoy every day with them.

Until one day, when it all went south.

\---------

_"Callum Adler?"_

_"Y-Yes sir..." He stared at the two police officers in front of him._

_He had woken up in the bright hours of noon, and noticed that Harrow and Sarai hadn't return from their boat trip last night. The doorbell had just rang, and now he was standing at the front door, confronted by two police officers._

_"Last night, your parents Harrow and Sarai Adler had taken a boat out with a few friends to the ocean."_

_"Yes, why haven't they-"  
_

_"The boat was destroyed." Callum's mouth shut._

_"What?"_

_"One of our patrol boats was going through a training course, and they stumbled upon the remains of it. They soon retrieved four bodies that were floating alongside the debris..." The officer froze for a second, but soon concluded, "Two of the bodies were identified as your parents: Harrow and Sarai Adler...."_

_Calllum froze the minute he heard this. "W-What...?"_

_"I'm sorry son...we didn't know how else to tell you about this."_

_Still in a state of shock, Callum couldn't even respond as the officer continued, "We know you have a younger brother, and normally under these circumstances we would put both of you in foster care. However, our records show that you are old enough to be Ezran's legal guardian. Of course, you will need to follow court proceedings for this to happen, but we just thought we would let you know this since you are 19 years old."_

_Callum still didn't say anything, even as the officers gave their final condolences and left._

_After that, Callum did follow legal proceedings with the court and became Ezran's guardian._

_Of course, telling his younger brother about this tore him apart greatly, but he was able to push through it as they had to leave their house, managing to find a cheap apartment close to the ocean with the little money they had._

_Once settled, Callum desperately ran into the city, knowing that he would have to find work so that he would have money to take care of not just himself but Ezran._

_Unfortunately, each job he tried to get into would always turn him down._

_Every time he entered, they would simply turn him away, much to his anger._

_Soon, his hope degraded completely when he was rejected from his most recent attempt. He angrily pounded a nearby wall, feeling like he had failed not just himself, but Ezran as well._

_How could he take care of him if he didn't have the money?_

_Just when he was about to burst into tears, he heard an accented voice behind him._

_"Excuse me, young man..."_

_Hearing this, Callum quickly wiped his eyes and turned around. Behind him stood a man, with platinum-blonde hair that was cut short and kept to the side._

_"Y-Yes?" His voice still quivered slightly, much to his own anger._

_The man must have seen the desperation in his eyes, because his next words shocked Callum greatly. "Are you in need of a job?"_

_That served as the breaking point for Callum, because he soon broke down in front of him, explaining everything from how his parents recently died to him needed to take care of his younger brother._

_The man listened gravely to all of this, and offered a sympathetic smile as he placed a hand on his shoulder._

_"I'm really sorry to hear about what happened...but I could help ya."_

_"Y-You could?" He wiped his nose and he looked up at him._

_"Yes.." He cleared his throat as he began. "Ya see, we used to have a worker that would do simple tasks around our house since we work a majority of the time. He just quit recently, and we were lookin' for someone who could replace him. So maybe ya could take the offer? Ya would work 4 times a week, and be paid in advance for your service."_

_Before Callum could respond, he quickly added, "We would have a list ready for ya when ya appear, and lunch would be even be provided for ya during the time ya stay. Just thought I'd add that as well since most of the tasks that we would give ya can be time consumin', an-"_

_"Yes.." Callum didn't miss a beat in his answer. "Yes. I'll take it!"_

_Seeing his enthusiasm made the man laugh a little, but his eyes softened as he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a piece of paper._

_"This has the address of our house, be there at 7 am tomorrow mornin'."_

_Callum took the paper, but soon looked up at the man, his smile widening more. "Thank you...thank you so much!!!"_

_"Please, ya don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure."_

_He turned around and began to leave, but Callum suddenly spoke again._

_"C-Callum.." He extended a hand out. "My name is Callum..Callum Adler..."_

_The man smiled warmly and shook his hand. "Ethari Henris."_

_Henris...Callum could have sworn he heard that last name before. "C-Could repeat your last name for me?"_

_"Oh? It's Henris." Callum scratched his chin, but he soon stopped when it clicked into his mind._

_"You-you wouldn't happen to be married to someone named Runaan Henris, wouldn't you?"_

_Ethari smiled, nodding his head. "That is correct Callum."_

_His mouth fell open as the stared at Ethari with widened eyes._ _"You're married to Runaan Henris...as in THE Runaan Henris!?? He..he's one of the most powerful people in the city if Katolis! He owns a mansion! Has millions of dollars!!"_

_Ethari chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Aye well, that's what ya get if ya make wise investments."_

_Callum wanted to say something else, but Ethari held a hand up. "I'll see ya tomorrow Callum, ya can save any remainin' questions ya have for Runaan when ya meet him."_

_With that Ethari turned around and walked down the street, leaving Callum to just stand there still wide eyed over the fact that the husband of a famous business tycoon had offered him a job._

_Still, he face was now fixed into a permanent smile as he turned around and practically bounced back home, knowing that he might have just saved both him and Ezran._

\-------

It had been a few months now and things seemed to return back to normal. Despite their living conditions, Callum had managed to secure his job as working for Runaan, and it paid him well enough to keep him and Ezran under a roof.

Yet a day still doesn't go by when painful memories flash inside Callum's head, reminding him of his deceased parents.

Feeling a tear prickle down his cheek, Callum quickly wiped it away as he leaned over to Ezran, planting a soft kiss on his head before exiting the bedroom and walking into the bathroom. After brushing his teeth, taking a quick shower, and putting on a simple plain t-shirt along with some shorts, Callum proceeded to grab his sandals. Quickly slipping them on, he then grabbed his phone off the countertop, and saw he had a message.

_[Ethari (7:59 am)]: Callum, I just wanted to let you know that me and Runaan will be out of the house by the time you get there (work reasons). Come at your normal time still and Rayla will let you in._

Seeing this, Callum couldn't repress the small smile that formed on his face as he shot back a text of confirmation to Ethari.

Rayla was Runaan's niece, and Callum's closest friend. He'd met her on the first day when he was busy cleaning the railing banisters, and she'd suddenly appeared right in front of him, asking him about who he was and what he was doing. 

After he had introduced himself to her, Rayla had explained a little bit about herself to him, and he had learned a lot from her in the span of just 10 simple minutes.

First off, she was around the same age as Callum, and she'd told him that Runaan was her uncle, and when both her parents had disappeared when she was a toddler, he had adopted her, raising her like his own daughter. 

Callum felt some sympathy for the girl when hearing this, and he opened up about him losing his parents recently and that Ethari had offered him a job of working here so that he could be paid to take care of Ezran.

It was at that moment that something must have connected between the two, as they soon fell into long conversations about a variety of things, smiling all the way.

From there on they became good friends, and would always chat away whenever Callum came over.

However, there was one thing about her that stood out the most to Callum, and he'd even seen this when he first bumped into her on his first day of work.

It was the fact that Rayla was pretty; easily the prettiest girl Callum had ever met in his life.

It made sense that he had seen practically all the teenage boys near her house trying to win her over in a variety of ways, but she was never really interested. Rather, she spent most of her time in the house taking with Callum. He'd made her laugh, smile and even enjoy the time he had before he left with his paycheck at the end.

Yet, even though he had grown to be her best friend over the span of a few simple months, he began to feel something...else for the girl.

It was like...a burning desire within him.

Like, something he wanted was within Rayla.

But what?

Either way, he was excited to meet her today, so he had to hurry.

As he wrote down a note for Ezran, telling what he could make for breakfast and lunch, Callum soon grabbed his phone, tucking it into his pocket. He then grabbed his keys and opened the front door, exiting his apartment and walking down the two flights of stairs before leaving through the main doors.

The minute he was outside, his nostrils were immediately flooded with the heavy scent of ocean water and sand. However, he simply smiled as he took in the sight before him. The sun had now risen a little bit higher, but it was also enough to paint the ocean water in a color of orange while the sky had turned a shocking pink color.

Checking his phone again, Callum realized that he needed to get moving, or else he would be late. Strolling down the sidewalk close to the sandy dunes, it didn't take long before Callum spotted the massive mansion out in the distance, close to where the edge of the city was.

Despite the fact that he'd been here multiple times, the sight of the house alone never failed to make him look at it with sheer awe.

He walked up the long driveway, and was soon face to face with the gigantic front door.

Reaching a hand out, he rang the doorbell, the sound echoing from within the household itself.

The door soon opened and Rayla was standing on the other side. However, the minute she appeared before Callum, he stopped, eyes fixated on her.

"Hey Callum..." Her thick accent coated the words she said, but he just continued looking at her from head to toe. 

She had on a purple crop top, denim shorts, and white sneakers. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail and her large, violet eyes sparkled a bit from the sun.

Yup, this girl was beyond pretty.

"Uhh..Earth to Callum...hello? She waved her hand in-front of his face, and it was only then did he snap out of his trance.

"Oh..sorry Rayla..hi.." He felt his face flush a bit as his eyes looked away from her, trying not to see just how much of her lean body was exposed from her top, while her denim shorts accentuated her legs.

"Runaan already wrote a list down for what ya have to do today." She guided him to the kitchen. "Here." She picked up the piece of paper and handed it to Callum, who looked over it for a few seconds before nodding his head and getting to work.

As he proceeded to grab the mop and handheld vacuum from the closet, Rayla followed behind him.

"So how have ya been?" She asked as she perched herself on one of the stairs while Callum began to mop the floor.

"Been alright, kinda had a rough morning..."

"Really?"

"Yeah...I mean I got up and quickly kissed Ezran goodbye, but I soon began to recall about my parents...and well..."

"Oh..." She was quiet now as Callum continued on with his tasks. "Are ya doin' ok now?'

"I'm better now Rayla." He offered her a soft smile. "Not going to let this get in the way of making your house squeaky clean."

Rayla giggled a bit at that, and soon stopped talking so that Callum could finish his work.

But as she continued watching him, her eyes soon wandered up to his face. His enchanting, emerald green eyes currently narrowed at the task beforehand, while his delicate, chocolate brown hair swayed as he moved, small beads of sweat forming at the tips.

He was rather adorable, and Rayla had tried to hide that fact ever since she had grown accustomed to having him around.

Not to mention, he did have some definition in his biceps and abdomen, likely from Runaan working him to the bone on a daily basis.

All those months that she had gotten to know him, and she had seen that he was nothing like any of the other people who lived close to her house. Given that almost every teenage boy tried to win her over, it was really annoying, especially since some were persistent.

But for Callum, he was the friendliest person she had ever met, not wanting to try and hit on her at the first sight. From there on, she appreciated all the conversations they shared and the time she spent with him when he was here.

At one time, she even wanted to give him her number, but was caught by Runaan, who strictly forbid it, as he simply saw Callum as a servant and nothing else. This infuriated her, but she didn't want to argue and risk Callum being dismissed. So instead, she enjoyed the time that was spent when he was actually over at the house.

Yet, there was something else that egged Rayla on for a bit as time passed for both her and Callum. She'd grown closer to him, but also began to feeling something else tugging at her.

Like...something she desired was in Callum.

Something she wanted...

"Rayla?" Callum's voice made her blink rapidly and she saw that he was now facing her fully. "Can you move, I need to vacuum your carpets upstairs."

"O-Oh...right, right..." She didn't need someone to tell her that there was redness creeping on her face as she moved aside and let Callum walk up the stairs. "Do ya want somethin' to drink?"

"Just a bottle of water!" Callum called back as Rayla heard the sound of the handheld vacuum being turned in.

Soon enough, Callum had finished all the work inside, and after a quick lunch break, proceeded to wander outside into their luscious garden. The garden itself was huge, and he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Tall bushes covered the entire area while a wide variety of flowers were peppered everywhere.

Checking the list once more, he picked up a bucket that was lying close to him and went to grab the shovel, kneeling down to where it was.

But as he reached to pick it up, a foot suddenly kicked it away. This was followed by a sneering laugh, and Callum rolled his eyes as he knew what was going on. Looking up he saw two boys standing over him. One had brown hair kept into a small ponytail, while the other had nearly white-blond hair that was swept to the side.

Ram and Kasef.

They were boys that lived close to Rayla’s area, and he’d met them on his second day of working.

Unfortunately, instead of being friendly to him, they soon began to pick on him, calling him names while trying to sabotage the work he'd do. He merely ignored them, knowing that if he started a fight, Runaan would fire him.

It wasn't just him however that Ram and Kasef bothered, as he had constantly seen them gushing over Rayla, trying to see who could win her over. She'd rejected them countless times but they were persistent, which not only annoyed her, but him as well.

They just couldn't take the hint that she wasn't interested.

"Hey there garbage boy." Ram laughed. "Slaving away here like always?"

Callum ignored them and went to grab the shovel, but Kasef tripped him.

"We're taking to you!" He hissed. "Show some respect dog!"

"Fuck off." Callum deadpanned as he got back up, but he felt two hands grab from behind.

"What did you just say!?" Ram said, his voice guttural now as he spun Callum around to face him, his hands now grasping the front of his shirt. "Say that one more time, I dare you..."

"Of course your thick skull would need me to say it again." Callum punctuated his next words, his face not showing any sign of fear. "Fuck. Off."

"You smug little..." Without warning, Kasef swung his fist and it connected with Callum's midsection.

Letting out a pained groan, Callum fell to his knees. He soon felt a kick to his side and he collapsed onto the ground.

"I think we need to teach him some manners.." Ram said in a cold tone, leaning down, raising a fist to hit him again.

"Hey!" A voice yelled behind them, causing the two teens to stop and look. Rayla stood there, her eyes glaring at them. "Get away from him!"

"Oh look Kasef..." Ram put on an affectionate tone, one that made Rayla want to puke. "It's Rayla..."

The girl walked towards them, her fists clenched as she saw Callum getting back up, his hand holding his stomach. 

"Hey gorgeous, how are-" Kasef reached a hand out to touch her , but Rayla grabbed it, her fingers started to crush the skin.

"Ack!" Kasef tried to pull free, but Rayla held his hand firmly in place.

"Don't you dare touch me." Her voice was low and seething, one that even made Ram back off. "You're trespassin', and I'll tell Runaan about this. Ya know what happens if he finds out..."

Now Kasef's eyes widened with fear. "N-No, please don't tell him. We won't come here ever again!"

"And ya will leave Callum alone?"

"Yes!" Kasef all but cried out as Rayla tightened her grip more. She soon let go of him and both boys scampered off out of the garden, disappearing around the corner. 

Once they were out of sight, Rayla quickly ran towards Callum, who was still holding his stomach as he tried to get back up.

"Callum! Are ya ok!?" She bent down and gently grabbed one of his arms, helping him to stand on his feet.

"Yeah..I'm ok Ray-" A pained grunt escaped from him as his hand clutched his stomach harder.

Concerned, Rayla helped him back into the house, gently sitting him down on one of the sofas in the living room.

"Here." She offered kneeling down. "Let me take a look."

Callum was a little hesitant at first, but soon complied and lifted his shirt up for Rayla. The first thing Rayla saw was the large, red print on his middle, from where Kasef had made contact with him. However, her eyes soon wandered away from that and began to roam across his entire body. She saw the well-defined abdominal muscles on him, and resisted the urge of wanting to reach out a hand and rake her fingers across them.

Feeling them.

And the smooth skin that accompanied it...

"Rayla?" Callum asked, his face heating up a bit at the way she was staring. "It's...it's nothing bad right?"

"Oh...OH!" She glanced away, her face red as a tomato. "No Callum, I think it needs some ice. Nothin' more."

"Ok..." Both were quiet now, but Rayla soon cleared her throat and said she'd go grab a packet of ice.

She quickly returned with it, and Callum tucked it under his shirt, while thanking Rayla for the help. 

From there on, both teens refused to make eye-contact with one another, their faces still slightly red as Callum finished up his remaining tasks. 

Once he was all done, he checked his phone and saw it was nearly 5:00pm.

"Oh man, I need to go now." He pushed his phone back into his pocket. "Did Runaan leave my paycheck in advance?"

"Aye. Let me grab it for ya." Rayla raced up the stairs, and not even a moment later, returned with a white envelope. "I'll text Runaan and let him know that ya finished up."

"Yeah..yeah that sounds great." There was silence now, as they didn't known what else to say.

"So uhh...see ya later Callum?" Rayla eventually spoke, offering a nervous smile at him.

"Oh yeah..see you around Rayla." He turned around and left through the front door, leaving the girl to stand alone in the middle of the living room, her face still slightly red.

Eventually, after taking a minute to gather her thoughts, she shut off all the lights in unnecessary areas of the house and trudged up the stairs.

As she flopped down onto her bed, she soon felt her mind racing over what had happened. 

Did she just check out Callum's muscles?

Why on earth would she do something like that?

Still, just the mere thought of seeing his clear, defined body made the burning desire within her stomach bubble even more.

And the more she felt it, the more her mind began to think of...other things for Callum.

Like how he was if she straddled him.

Or how his hands felt if they touched her body.

Or how his skin really felt if she dug her nails into his abdominal muscles.

Or what it would feel like if he entered her...

Uh Oh...

_"Oh gods..."_ Rayla buried her face into her pillow, but could now think of just a pair of emeralds green eyes and a smug smile gracing his sharp jawline.

This may have been a problem...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Rayllum to come


	2. Along The Coastline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, there will be some underage drinking in this.
> 
> Since Callum and Rayla are 19, and the legal age for drinking is 21 here in my country, thought I bring that out.

_"Oh Callum...oh fuck Callum, yes..."_ Her accent came out stronger and her violet eyes stared down at him with carnal desire as she bounced on-top of him, her platinum-blonde hair splayed across her face while her breasts bobbed gently. _"Come on Callum, I need you now. Come for me-"_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP_

His eyes suddenly opened to the noise of his phone alarm, his mind quickly adjusting to the fact that he was still in his room, letting him know that what he was merely dreaming. His hand moved to grab his phone, and he turned his head back to see Ezran still sound asleep.

Thank god he was, because when Callum glanced down at his body, he noticed the slight tent in the covers, and his face blushed a bright red. 

Did he just have an erotic dream of making love to the niece of a business tycoon?

He quickly shook those thoughts out his mind as he scrambled out of bed, being extra careful to not wake up Ezran, and ran off to the bathroom. Luckily, he managed to calm himself down after taking a nice hot shower and getting ready for the day.

Today, he didn't have to be Runaan and Ethari's house, so he wasn't in any rush with finding a pair of clothes to slip on before making his way over to the kitchen, grabbing a mug while he turned the kettle on.

As the kettled boiled up, Callum grabbed some pieces of toast, four eggs and a frying pan. After popping the toast into the toaster, he turned the stove on and set the pan down on it, getting ready to crack the eggs.

However, he soon heard a noise behind him, but smiled when heard the words, "Morning Callum."

Turning around, Callum saw Ezran standing by the doorway, his pajamas still on while his puffy hair was all out in a mess.

"Morning sleepy head." He smiled as he walked over and gave him a hug. "You're just in time, breakfast is almost ready."

"Smells good." Ezran gave him a lopsided grin before walking away to the bathroom. "I'll see you in the dining room!" 

"Oh, so I'm doing all the work now huh?" Callum quipped.

"Nuh-uh! I'm doing my job of getting ready! Doesn't that count!?"

"Hmmm..." Callum playfully scratched his chin. "I guess it does. I'll see you there in 10 minutes." He turned back to the frying pan. "Once these eggs are ready..."

Soon enough, Callum had finished making breakfast and walked over to the dining room, where Ezran was already sitting down, waiting excitedly for him.

"Alright Ez, dig in." He placed down a tray full of eggs, toast, and yogurt.

"Thanks Cal." Grabbing his fork and knife, Ezran gobbled down his food while Callum sat next to him, smiling.

"Slow down there mister, the food is not going anywhere."

"I know, I'm just really hungry..." He responded by shoving a forkful of egg into his mouth.

They soon finished eating, and Callum took both their plates into the kitchen, washing them. However, as he did this, his mind began to trail back to the dream he had before his phone snapped him out of dreamland.

Ever since his most recent interaction with Rayla, he couldn't stop thinking about, especially the way she stared at his stomach when she offered to help him. The minute he went back home, all he could think about was her only.

Even when he went to bed, his mind still kept on flashing images of her.

Images that showed her straddling him, her entire body exposed before him, while she rode him and he watched her like she was some kind of goddess.

He quickly shut off the sink, trying to get those images out of his mind and he loaded up the dishwasher and went back to where Ezran was, who was busy cleaning up the dining table.

"After this, do you want to go to the beach Ez?" Callum asked as he ruffled his hair.

"Yeah!" He beamed. 

"Alright, get changed and then we'll go."

The day went by fast for Callum, and all he remembered was spending time with Ezran near the beach before coming back in to watch a movie. Soon night came, and Callum ordered a pizza for the two of them. Once they finished eating, Ezran went to sleep, but Callum decided to something else.

When he saw his little brother asleep, he decided to go for a stroll on the coast, just to get some fresh air and clear his mind. Quickly slipping on his sandals, he grabbed his key and left his apartment, setting out into the coastline.

\-------

Rayla lay there on her bed, phone in hand as she texted one of her friends. It had been a rather boring day, as she didn't do much, other than make herself a sandwich and watch youtube videos on her phone.

When Ethari eventually came back, she only got up to greet him before returning to her room, sighing to herself at the boredom. Eventually, she tossed her phone to the side lay there, feeling slightly lethargic as her eyes began to slowly close.

But as she fell asleep, her mind decided play games with her by making her hear a familiar, low voice.

 _"Rayla..."_ She could already picture it: two emerald green eyes looking up at her with complete lust. 

She tried to shut it out, but her mind was persistent. She soon imagined her being on top of him, riding him while his hands roamed across her body, feeling her skin as he let out low groans. His face was fixed into a grin, and his brown hair was a mess of sweat as he met her with each thrust.

 _"Rayla..."_ His voice became even louder now. 

_"Rayla..!"_ But it seemed to shift from his to one with an accent...

"Rayla!" The voice suddenly cause her eyes to shoot open, and she saw that Ethari was in her room, his hand on her shoulder as if he was shaking her to wake her up.

"E-Ethari!" Rayla tried to hide the slight red in her face. "D-Don't ya knock!?"

"I did, but ya didn't reply back." He sat down on the edge of her bed. "I tried a few more times, but ya still didn't answer."

"Oh..sorry..." She calmed down and sat up. "I guess I must have dosed off.."

"I could see that, but I just wanted to let ya know that someone is here to see ya."

Her mind was already thinking that it was Callum, but she silently nodded her head and left her room, trotting down the stairs to the front door. Opening it, she was greeted to not Callum, but a girl with blonde hair done up into a bun. However, Rayla instantly recognized her and her lips tugged into a wide smile.

"Hey Rayla." The girl greeted.

"Andromeda." She gave her a quick hug. "What are ya doin' here?"

"I was about to go for a small walk along with coastline, and I thought you would like to join me."

"Oh absolutely, I really want to get out of the house and...as long as it is just the coastline and not in the water.." Rayla gave her a weak smile. "Cause ya now..."

"I know, you are afraid of going in the water." She gave her a soft smile. "So are you in?"

"Aye, better than bein' stuck in here and doin' nothin'." She quickly told Ethari what was going on and slipped her sandals on before running out to join Andromeda.

As they walked down to the beach, Andromeda suddenly spoke again. "Oh Rayla, I almost forgot, but there will be a few people joining us..."

"Oh..who else?"

"Ram, Kasef, Callisto and Skor." Rayla stopped dead in her tracks, giving Andromeda and incredulous look.

"Are ya kiddin' Andromeda!? Them!?"

"What?" 

"Ya know that Ram and Kasef will be up in my face if they see me. They won't take the fuckin' hint that I'm not interested!" Rayla raised her voice a bit, but Andromeda managed to calm her down.

"Just ignore them Rayla, and besides, they agreed on bringing beer for all of us to enjoy. It'll be fun."

Rayla was more than tempted to just turn around and walk away, but she really wanted to get out of her house after being cooped up in there for too long, so she let out a reluctant sigh and trailed behind Andromeda as they walked across the coastline.

Soon enough, they saw the group of boys sitting on the sand, horsing around as they tossed beer cans at one another

"Ah Andromeda, there you are!" Ram called out as he tossed her a can. "Oh look, you even brought her." He began to approach Rayla, swiping his hair to the right as if he going to try and impress her, but she shot him a look that instantly gave him the message of staying away. 

"Here Rayla." Andromeda offered her a can, but she refused.

"I'm not drinkin', Runaan and Ethari will kill me if they ever found out."

"They don't have to know." Kasef said, wiggling his eyebrows as he downed a can. "Come on babe, don't be such a wuss.."

"Piss off Kasef." Rayla grumbled as she watched Andromeda and the others chat away and drink.

Soon enough, everyone (minus Rayla) began to feel the effects of the alcohol as their voices got slurred and they began mumble nonsensical terms, much to Rayla's annoyance as she watched this. Eventually, she grew tired and began to walk down the coastline further, but she felt a hand grab her arm.

"R-Rayla?" Andromeda asked, her voice slurred. "Whe-where are you g-going?"

"I'm takin' a walk further down the coastline, and don't bother followin' me." She yanked her arm out of her grasp, and Andromeda watched as Rayla walked away.

Once she had put enough distance between herself and the group, she sighed as her eyes looked up to the star-lit sky, tracing every single glowing orb that peppered the area above her.

She always enjoyed coming out her and watching the stars. It made her feel like she was at peace, safe from all the worries in her life.

Suddenly, the noise of someone yelling behind her caused her to sigh inwardly as she walked further away, wanting to get as far away as she could from the group of drunkards.

She kept walking, making sure to keep away from the crashing waves of the ocean as she continued forward...but soon stopped.

She noticed someone not too far from where she was. He was sitting down, watching the stars, and as Rayla walked a little closer, she could make out the figure even more. 

Especially that messy brown hair, and green eyes that were focused on ocean ahead.

Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized who it was.

Callum...


	3. Bright Skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Extremely sorry that I took forever for updating this. Either way, hope you all enjoyed this :)

Callum sighed to himself as he took a seat on the sand, eyes watching the ocean waves silently splash across the wet surface.

He loved to come out and take walks along the coastline whenever he had the chance. It would always put his mind to ease and not think about the still painful memories that he carried. Hw knew they were ones that he would never get rid off, but he had to be strong and push through them, for the sake of being there for Ezran.

His hand scooped up some sand before letting fall through his fingers. He exhaled a little before leaning back on his palms and closing his eyes, letting the sounds of soft splashing fill his ears as allowed himself to smile a little. 

"Hey Callum..." 

"Gah!!" He jumped, his eyes shooting open and head jerking to where he heard that voice. "Oh...Rayla..."

The girl tilted her head slightly, raising an eyebrow at his reaction. "I..I hope I didn't scare ya."

"Wha-oh no..no, sorry..I just didn't expect anyone else to be out here at this time of the night, that's all." He offered her a smile, and she felt her heart flutter a bit. "So..why are you out here?"

"Ah well...my friend invited me to come out onto the beach, but she also invited a few people that I don't like, so I decided to go walkin' down the coastline, just to clear my mind."

"And you suddenly saw me?"

"Aye...and I was just wonderin' why ya are out here this late at night."

"Just decided to go for a late night walk...I mean, I used to do these a lot with my dad..." He felt a lump in his throat when he mentioned this. "...before he..."

"Oh..." There was silence for a second or two, before Callum smiled and patted the spot next to him.

"Want to sit with me for a bit?"

His request caused her face to flush slightly, but she smiled softly at him as she walked over and sat down next to him, tucking her legs into her chest while she wrapped her arms across them.

A small, awkward silence graced them, but Rayla soon broke it.

"Hey Callum...um...about what happened yesterday.."

As of on cue, Callum felt his face flush a bit, the memories of the way she looked at him tearing through his mind. "Y-Yeah?"

"I...uhh...want ya to know that I was simply.." She was really grasping with trying to come up with an excuse. "....I was just analyzin' the mark and seein' what needed to be done..." She felt her face heating up as she burned it between her knees. "So...sorry if I made it look awkward..."

"That...that's ok Rayla..." He nervously laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks for helping either way."

"No problem Callum...that's what friends are for right?" 

"Yeah...yeah that's right..." The both looked at each other for what like minutes before they both turned their heads back to looking at the sea.

Now there was complete silence as both teens just stared out into the vast ocean, the bright moon shining overhead and casting a glow across it. Rayla turned her head slightly to look at Callum, and saw his head tilted up to look at the stars, all while he smiled to himself.

"It' beautiful isn't it?" He soon spoke, not moving his eyes away from the sky.

"Aye...it is." She allowed herself to smile a little as she looked up, her eyes tracing all the small, white orbs that peppered the blackened sky. "I've never seen anythin' like this."

"You haven't?" Now he turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't normally leave my house," she said, offering a small smile. "Most of the time I'm just cooped up in my room, doing absolutely nothin'."

"Well that was the opposite for me." He chuckled, turning to look at her. "Me and my dad would take walks out her late and night, when Ez and mom were asleep."

"Really?"

"Yeah...we'd sometimes sit down on the beach as well and gaze up at the stars...pointing out the various constellations that are up there."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm." He hummed, pointing up to the sky. "You see there, that's the Big Dipper." His finger traced along the seven main stars that were lined up to form the starry pattern, and when he turned his head Callum saw as Rayla looked at him, her lilac eyes sparkling with curiosity. "There's Ursa Major....Orion is right over there, and..." His eyes narrowed as traced the outline of the stars. "...aha, there is Cassiopeia..."

Rayla could only look at him in awe, watching as he brought his arm down and looked at her, smiling almost triumphantly. "That's...that's so amazin' Callum." She clapped her hands. "Ya really know a lot about the stars, don't ya?"

"Well, when you have a parent who can easily read the constellations like the back of his hand...then you can really learn a thing or two from them." He chuckled, watching as she shook her head, laughing a little before they both turned their attention back to looking out into the sea.

As the pair sat in a more comfortable silence, Callum's head looked up at the sky once more. Already, he felt the memories of him and Harrow crashing through him again. Memories of the two of them swimming together close to the coast, building sand castles, getting ice cream- all of those happy visions kept replaying over and over in his mind.

He really missed his stepdad, and family, so much. No matter how long ago it may have been, it still hurt thinking about everything that had happened. 

His vision began to get blurry, but he quickly brought an arm up to wipe his eyes, praying that Rayla didn't see it. Even though he knew that she wouldn't judge him for breaking down, he still felt the urge of fighting through it. After taking a few deep breaths, he managed to push his emotions down, deciding to think of other things aside from old memories.

He turned his attention to the girl beside him, who seemed to not notice his actions, as she was busy admiring the moon. However, he noticed that her smile had left, and was replaced by one that looked more...dejected. 

"Hey Rayla...are you ok?" He carefully scooted a little closer to her, yet she still didn't look at him.

"Aye...I'm just...thinkin' about somethin'...that's all." Her voice was a little shaky, but Callum didn't want press her any further, instead nodding his head in an understanding manner.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He spoke, his voice full of sympathy. "But...know that you can always tell me anything."

Hearing this, Rayla pursed her lips, her mind now mulling over what she should do now.

Callum was right, she could tell him anything. She'd known the boy for a long time, even going as far as to consider him her best friend. They had talked numerous of times before on a lot of different topics or subjects...and she'd never felt more comfortable than when she was with Callum.

He was almost like a part of her family...even if Runaan and Ethari didn't see that.

Taking a small breath, she soon spoke, her voice quiet, but still enough for Callum to hear. 

"I'm...thinkin' about my parents."

Hearing this, Callum turned his head to look back at Rayla, who's attention was still drifting out to sea, though he could see that her eyes became somewhat glassy now.

"You miss them...don't you?"

She sighed, dropping her forehead down into her arms. "Aye...even though I lost them at a young age...it still hurts that they are really gone."

"Do you...remember what they were like to you?"

"I mean...I don't remember them entirely, I only have small fragments of when I was a wee girl..." She looked at him, her frown still there.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Rayla." He tentatively reached a hand out and touched her shoulder. 

"It's ok...I mean, living with Runaan and Ethari for almost all my life has made me see them as actual parents..."

"Still..." He gently turned her to face him properly. "I'm sorry that you also had to go through that. Growing up without your parents being there..."

Rayla was silent for a moment, before saying, "I sometimes wish that they were still here with me..." Her voice cracked a little. "They would have really liked ya Callum..."

The brunette froze hearing what was just said. "Really?"

"Aye...they would have appreciated seeing just how amazin' ya are." Her lips quirked into a small smile. "You're funny, noble, true, smart, kind and brave and..." She paused, before continuing, "...just...amazin' in general Callum..."

The boy's eyes were wide, but only for a split second, before he smiled warmly back, his hand moving to tuck a bit of her hair behind her ear. The motion made Rayla's breath hitch slightly and her face began to heat up. However, Callum didn't seem to notice this as he spoke, his voice gentle.

"My parents would have really liked you as well."

"What? Really?" Rayla didn't expect Callum to say that, but saw as he nodded his head.

"Yes. Rayla, you are the most amazing person I have ever met in my life. You're smart, kind, caring, beautiful..." His words trailed off, and Rayla felt her face combusting with the feeling heat as her mind began to scramble. "...They would have welcomed you with open arms." His voice snapped her back into reality, and she saw as he was giving her a wide smile.

She sighed, scooting herself closer to him. "Thank you Callum...it's just really nice knowing that I have someone like you in my life."

For Callum, he felt his heart swell up, but continued smiling nonetheless. "Me too Rayla...me too..."

Now their faces were only inches apart, and both just looked at each other, not saying anything. 

However, the more he continued looking into her gorgeous lilac eyes, the more his mind began to present him with familiar images. 

The same ones he had seen when he was asleep, and when he was putting the dishes away.

Images of Rayla riding him again, completely naked, her hair messy and her eyes looking down at him, full of pure lust as she moaned aloud his name, all while she bounced on top of him. He wondered what her body felt like under the clothes she had, and what her hair would feel like if her were to run a hand through it while he took her. 

He knew he couldn't get rid of what he was seeing and feeling for Rayla at that moment...and he seemed to not want to.

For Rayla, her eyes began to trail across every detail on his face. From his eyes, to his sharp jawline, to the small cut on his forehead, and practically everything else.

But the more she looked, the more she felt her head swimming with something else. Her heart rate was picking up faster now, and her mind began to present her with familiar images.

Ones that she had seen before...and ones that were all too familiar.

She began to imagine Callum being underneath her, looking up at her with a grin and green eyes that were full of carnal desire as she rode him hard. Her eyes briefly looked away from his face and flickered down to his hands. She wondered what they would feel like when they were on her stomach, roaming across it, caressing her skin. 

It didn't end there though, as she suddenly began to feel an itch in-between her legs. It was almost like heat pooling there, and even though she tried her best to ignore it, she didn't bother, finally coming to terms with what she wanted: Callum.

She wanted him...and needed him.

Unbeknownst to both of them, they were now leaning in a lot closer. Their foreheads nearly touched, and their mouths so close to the other's, that they could feel their breaths practically ghosts of each other's.

What Rayla also didn't know, was that one of her hands had moved up, and she soon felt his skin underneath her finger tips as her hand held his jaw. Her heart rate was beating faster, and the itch between her legs was becoming even more as she traced features along his face, relishing at how soft his skin actually was.

For Callum, his heart was also beating uncontrollably as he felt Rayla's cool, gentle fingers carefully trace along his face. He felt his head getting lighter as he found himself just lost in her eyes. 

However, Rayla soon stopped, her hand holding his cheek. But her other hand suddenly moved to his thigh, feeling the skin there as it slowly trailed up. Callum gulped, watching as a small, sultry smile formed on her lips. One that made his heart thunder even more as her hand soon arrived at his crotch, her fingers gently tracing along it.

Callum whimpered a little, closing his eyes as he breathed in deeply. "W-Wait...Ray..." 

"Aye?" Her breath was warm against his lips, and when he opened his eyes, he saw that she was still smiling while her hand continued making circular motions along the fabric of his shorts, feeling his member growing erect. 

Callum let out a small grunt and closed his eyes again as her hand then moved further up, reaching the hem of his shorts. He felt frozen as her fingers teased along the skin just above his waistband.

"Is this ok?" Her words caused his eyes to open again, and he saw her still smiling, but there also the look of uncertainty as her hand stalled near the fabric of his waistband, as if silently asking for permission to continue.

He gulped, nodding his head a little. "I..uhh..y-yes..." His breath was coming out in pants, and Rayla smirked before her fingers dipped into his shorts. "Oh fuck..." He whispered, jolting a little as Rayla's cool fingers found his hardened member, lightly trailing across the skin of it, before grasping onto it.

"How about this?" She whispered again, this time leaning in more so that her lips were merely an inch away from his. She gave his manhood a solitary pump, and Callum drew a sharp breath as his eyes screwed shut.

"Oh god...Rayla..." Callum was finding it hard to continue speaking, instead letting out a small moan as she pumped him again. 

Her hand soon found a steady rhythm, and Callum could only pant at her ministrations. As this happened, Rayla's eyes flickered down to his lips, and she licked her own. But just before she could do anything else, a voice called out from behind her. "Rayla!! W-Where are you!??" 

Eyes widening, her hand quickly retracted from within his shorts and she jerked backwards. Callum did the exact same thing, blushing profusely as he fell back onto the sand. Both were now a few feet away from each other, and Rayla turned her head around to see five figures stumbling towards her. 

However, when she squinted her eyes to get a better look, she gasped when she recognized that it was Ram, Callisto, Skor, Kasef, and Andromeda, who were all laughing as they staggered over to where she was sitting.

"Shit..." She muttered, quickly standing up as Callum hid behind her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to get back with updating this more frequent, but still, thank you all for the extreme patience :)


End file.
